The glamorous life of Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has always fascinated fans, but beneath the glitz and fame lies a story filled with ups and downs, heartbreaks, and controversies.
A detailed report by the Apni Gupshup YouTube Channel sheds light on the lesser-known and darker aspects of Deepika’s journey, revealing surprising facts about her personal and professional life. The report states that Deepika Padukone’s career began with the blockbuster film Om Shanti Om in 2007, which introduced her as “Shanti Priya.”
The channel notes, “I would never want to go back to that dark.” Over the last 18 years in the film industry, Deepika has faced many struggles, including multiple relationships and depression, yet she emerged as one of Bollywood’s most successful actresses. However, her path was far from easy.
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Deepika is the daughter of badminton legend Prakash Padukone, initially pursued a career in badminton but soon switched to modeling at the age of 18. During her modeling days, she did the Kingfisher calendar shoot, where she met Siddharth Mallya, son of businessman Vijay Mallya.
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Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, impressed by Deepika’s beauty, introduced her to Malaika Arora, who in turn recommended her to Farah Khan for Om Shanti Om. Before her debut, Deepika appeared in Himesh Reshammiya’s music video “Naam Hai Tera.” Farah Khan’s audition confirmed Deepika as the perfect fit for the role of Shanti Priya, earning her a Best Actress award for the film.
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The report details Deepika’s early relationships, particularly with Ranbir Kapoor during the shooting of Bachna Ae Haseeno. Deepika was openly in love with Ranbir, even getting a tattoo of his name, but their relationship ended due to Ranbir’s possessiveness.
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Deepika accused Ranbir of cheating on her with Katrina Kaif during the filming of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. This heartbreak pushed Deepika into depression, with her nervous breakdowns caught on camera during award shows. The media and public sympathized with her, especially given Ranbir’s known playboy image.
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Deepika also appeared on “Coffee with Karan” with Sonam Kapoor, where they humorously mocked Ranbir, calling him a “mass boy.” This reportedly upset Neetu Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor. Post-breakup, Deepika acted opposite big stars like Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan but struggled to find substantial roles.
Her name was also linked to Siddharth Mallya again, due to her role as brand ambassador for the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL team. The couple dated for some time but broke up after an incident when Siddharth asked Deepika to pay the dinner bill. Deepika said she tried to save the relationship but ended it then.
Siddharth responded by calling Deepika “crazy” and criticized her publicly, reminding her of the gifts he gave her, like expensive diamonds and designer bags. It’s notable that this period coincided with Vijay Mallya’s financial troubles and legal issues.
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Besides Ranbir and Siddharth, Deepika was also linked to cricketers Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, and actor Upen Patel. Following Vijay Mallya’s downfall, Deepika became more private about her relationships.
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Meanwhile, Deepika’s professional life flourished with hits like Cocktail, Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express, and Ram-Leela. She established herself as one of Bollywood’s top actresses alongside contemporaries like Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, and Kangana Ranaut.
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Deepika also ventured into Hollywood with Vin Diesel in Triple X: Return of Xander Cage, although she faced trolling for her Indian accent compared to other actresses who had worked in Hollywood. Despite fewer Hollywood roles, she gained international recognition, including multiple invitations to the prestigious Met Gala.
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From 2018 onward, Deepika reduced her movie appearances, doing only one film a year and taking a two-year break. That same year, she launched her production house and married actor Ranveer Singh, after which she appeared much happier publicly.
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Her film Padmavati faced major protests for depicting a legendary queen dancing, leading to name changes and scene cuts. In 2020, Deepika’s participation in JNU protests led to her being labeled anti-national, a tag that intensified when she wore an orange bikini in Pathaan, with some alleging disrespect to Hindu gods.
In 2023, on Coffee with Karan, Deepika made a controversial statement: “I did meet other people, but I was interested and excited by no one else that I was seeing. In my mind, I was committed to him, so I was loyal to him.” This was widely seen as a dig at Ranbir Kapoor.
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Despite all these ups and downs, Apni Gupshup concludes that Deepika Padukone remains a very popular actress and an inspiration to many.
